1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension mechanism for vehicles, specifically to a structure for mounting a stabilizer on the suspension mechanism.
2. Description of the prior art
There has been commonly known a supension mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 59-39205 filed on Sept. 8, 1982, and laid open to the public on Mar. 13, 1984. The suspension mechanism disclosed in the Japanese Utility model application, as shown in FIG. 4, is provided with a lower arm 61 which is swingably connected with a cross member 60 at one end 61a thereof and fixed at the other end 61b to a knuckle 62 by which a wheel 63 is carried, an assist link 64 which is swingably connected with the cross member 60 at one end thereof 64a, and fixed at the other end 64b thereof to the lower arm 61, the assist link being inclined in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a stabilizer 65 fixed to the lower arm 61 at one end 65a thereof through a long bolt like control link 66.
Meanwhile, in the field of the automobile industry, it has been proposed to reduce the number of parts used for assembling a vehicle by utilizing common parts to thereby reduce a manufacturing cost. In this regard, it is preferable that common parts are used for assembling right and left suspension mechanisms. In suspension mechanisms, the lower arms 61 are generally disposed so as to extend from the cross member 60 respectively in the transverse direction of the vehicle with a symmetrical relationship with each other with regard to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle so that the lower arms 61 can be commonly constituted for the right and left suspension mechanisms in veiw of the structure thereof. On the other hand, the assist links 64 are disposed in an angular direction to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Therefore, it is impossible to manufacture the assist links 65 as common parts for the right and left suspension mechanism.
It should however be noted that in conventional suspension mechanisms as disclosed in the above Japanese application, the lower end of the control link 66 fixed to the stabilizer 65 is mounted on the upper side of the lower arm 61 so that the lower arms for the right and left suspension mechanisms cannot be manufactured as an identical structure unless the connecting portion of the control link 66 is formed on a symmetrical axis of the lower arm 61. Accordingly, it is apparent that in order to provide the lower arm with a common structure to a right and left suspension mechanism, it is necessary to form the connecting opening for the control link on the symmetrical axis. However, this may limit a free design of the suspension mechanism with regard to the location of the connection portion. Since an appropriate torsional stiffness is required for an assembly constituted by the stabilizer 65 and the control link 66 so as to provide the vehicle body with a desirable rolling stiffness of the vehicle, the sizes and lengths thereof should be properly determined. As a matter of fact, it may be difficult to form the connecting poriton on the symmetrical axis of the lower arm 61 so as to provide the stabilizer 65 and the control link 66 with such appropriate lengths and sizes.